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Funny how the loudest voices in these sorts of articles are always from places with temperate weather.
by myself248 8y ago
Funny how the loudest voices in these sorts of articles are always from places with temperate weather.
- rootusrootus 8y agoAnd places that are already dramatically denser than the vast majority of the developed world. Over the weekend I found myself looking for a place in Europe in satellite view, outside of an urban core, and I was struck by how many single-family houses there were, complete with driveways and cars. Here on HN I have been led to believe that Europe is a utopia of forward-thinking people too concerned about the environment to pollute it with a car that might also kill innocent pedestrians who just want to walk to their local grocery store. HN readers have created a lovely bubble for themselves.
- TheCoelacanth 8y agoBy definition, places with high population-density are the places where a lot of people live. It is not a "bubble".
- rootusrootus 8y agoThe bubble is here on HN where people routinely talk about America as if it is one big suburban hellhole and Europe as if it is one big metropolis paradise.
- adrianN 8y agoHalf the people in Berlin don't own a car. 45% of the commutes in Copenhagen happen by bicycle.
- rootusrootus 8y agoOver half the people in NYC don't own a car.
- asdff 8y agoYou know there are cities in Europe as well, right?
- rootusrootus 8y agoYup. They exist in America, as well.
- ginko 8y agoLiving in Trondheim, Norway here. I commuted by bicycle through most of the winter. Took the bus otherwise.
- ck425 8y agoI'm loudly anti-car and I live in Scotland. Honestly, when it comes to weather most people are pathetic. A bit of cold/rain won't kill you, just need gloves and a light waterproof later. I walked or cycled miles to school my whole life in one of the wettest areas of Europe. Parents need to toughen up, wrap their kids up, refuse to give them lifts and kick them out the door.
- JoeAltmaier 8y ago10 miles? Uphill both ways? Admittedly it can be good for a child to be self-sufficient and do their own planning.
- ck425 8y agoI did 2.5 miles each way, mixture of up and downhill for school. As a late teen I cycled 10-15 miles each way up a massive hill, 2/3 times a week for amateur theatre rehearsals, on top of the walk to school/work. It was great for me. Despite eating rubbish I was in fantastic shape.
- organsnyder 8y agoI commuted by bus to downtown Grand Rapids, MI for a few years without much difficulty. Acclimation to the cold and acquisition of appropriate gear made it fairly painless. My asthma makes winter biking difficult, but I know people that do it. I've been working from home for the past eight months, and I find myself missing the commute.
- adrianN 8y agoFunny how cities like San Francisco have very nice weather but still rely on cars.
- asdff 8y agoIn the midwest you still see people clad head to toe in goretex waterproof gear biking to work in a blizzard. Doesn't matter how the weather is if you've prepared for it.
- ip26 8y agoAs a certified goretex biker, there are a few things that are hard to prepare for. High winds and ice or slush can be downright dangerous.